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On Friday, the tech world learned that Jon Rubinstein, a former Apple executive and the architect of the iPod, is leaving HP. Rubinstein, as we know, never actually went to work for HP but he ended up there through the company's acquisition of Palm in 2010.

"Jon has fulfilled his commitment and we wish him well, an HP spokeswoman confirmed to All Things D.

"Rubinstein's departure is no big surprise," observed the article's author Arik Hesseldahl. "Sources said he hadn't been seen at HP's offices following the decision by former CEO Leo Apotheker to get out of the business of making WebOS-based hardware. His future pans have been the subject of speculation for some time."

So what will Rubinstein do now that he's voluntarily unemployed? “I am going to take a well deserved break after four and a half years of developing webOS,” he says, adding no further insight into his future plans.

The rumor mill, however, is already churning with speculation that Rubinstein may want to return to Apple later this year after his "well deserved" vacation. But few (myself included) would be willing to actually bet on that prospect coming to fruition.